WASHINGTON — Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) offered an apology on behalf of America for the airstrike on an Iranian girls’ school that local officials say killed 175 pupils and teachers — after President Trump suggested an Iranian misfire may have caused the tragedy.
“It was terrible. We made a mistake,” Kennedy told reporters Monday night on Capitol Hill, NBC News reported.
“Other countries do that sort of thing intentionally, like Russia. We would never do that intentionally. I think the department is investigating it now, and I’m sorry,” the Trump ally said.
“I’m just so sorry it happened. It was a mistake.”
Trump said Monday evening at a press conference that he isn’t sure if the US military was responsible for the carnage on the first day of the war — after footage emerged appearing to show a Tomahawk missile landing at the site, which is near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps building.
“I haven’t seen it and I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around is used by — you know, is sold and used by other countries,” Trump told reporters.
“Whether it’s Iran or somebody else… a Tomahawk is very generic.”
When pressed on whether he was accusing Iran of flattening the school in Minab, just north of the Strait of Hormuz, the president added “I just don’t know enough about it.”
“I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation, but Tomahawks are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have Tomahawks they buy them from us. But I will certainly — whatever the report shows I’m willing to live with that report,” he said.
Trump said Saturday that “we think it was done by Iran because they’re very inaccurate with their munitions.”
“They have no accuracy, whatsoever. It was done by Iran,” he said.
Kennedy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the White House.